Skate guard



Nov. 28, 1939. 'K T. w. BARNARD SKATE GUARD Filed June 17, 1938 j /V VEN TOE W10/w45 W 13A/ENA ED TTOKNEY:

Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in skate guards and more particularly to such a guard which may readily and conveniently be attached to or removed from the runner of a skate. Skate guards, as now commonly made, are not well adapted for use for walking about from place to place because, in most cases, they are made of flexible material and do not securely fit the runner, which sometimes makes it rather diflicult to walk with them on the skates. The novel guard herein disclosed, is made of a relatively rigid material, and comprises-an elongated body having a recess therein for receiving the runner of the skate. Means is provided for rmly securing the runner in the recess, whereby the skater may readily walk about from place to place without danger of the guards becoming detached from the skates, and without any danger of marring or otherwise damaging a floor.

An important object of the present invention therefore, is to provide a skate guard which may readily and conveniently be attached to the runner of the skate in such a manner that it is not likely to become detached therefrom, and whereby the skater may conveniently walk about from place to place with his skates on, without-danger of guards becoming detached therefrom, and also whereby the skates are not likely to damage or otherwisemar a finished surface.

A further object is to provide a guard of the class described which is very neat and attractive in appearance and is light in weight, whereby it may be conveniently carried in a small bag, when not in use.

A further object is to provide a skate guard comprising an elongated body having a longitudinally extending recess therein adapted to receive the runner of a skate, and pivoted means being provided at one end of the guard adapted to engage the skate runner to securely clamp the guard thereto.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel construction of the body of the skate guard, which preferably is made from a relatively stiff material such, for example, as wood, and is provided with a relatively wideI ground-engaging surface, whereby the skater may conveniently Walk about from place to place, when the guards are attached to his skates; in the unique formation of the recess in the guard which has its lower surface concaved in such a manner that the runner of a skate will engage only the ends of the recess, thereby preventing relative rocking movement of the runner in the guard, even though the runner of the skate may have a convexed lower edge; in the novel construction of one of the end walls of the recess, which is under-cut and adapted to be engaged by the rear end of the runner, thereby to prevent longitudinal move- I ment of the runner in said recess, and also whereby the rear end of the runner is not likely to lift out of the recess, when the guard is worn; and, in the novel means provided for removably securing the guard to the runner of the skate, which 1 residesin the provision of a clamping element received in threaded engagement with the forward end of the guard and adapted to engage the upper edge of the skate runner with suicient pressure to rmly hold the guard on the runner so that the guard' is not likely to accidentally become detached from the skate.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to 2 the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing my 3 improved guard attached to the runner of a skate;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 3, showing how the runner of the skate engages only the ends of the bottom 3 wall of the recess in the guard;

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, showing the means for securing the guard to the runner of the skate. 4

The novel skate guard herein disclosed, is shown comprising an elongated body portion, generally indicated by the numeral 2, shown having a ground-engaging surface 3, which preferably is slightly rounded or convexed, as best shown 4 in Figures 1 and 2, to facilitate walking. The body of the guard is provided in its upper side with a longitudinally extending recess 4 of a suitable width to receive the runner 5 of the skate.

An important feature of the invention resides in the unique formation of the recess 4 which, it will be noted, by reference to Figure 2, has its bottom slightly curved or concaved or, in other words, formed with a curve which has relatively q greater curvature than the bottom edge 'I of the skate runner 5. By thus shaping the bottom 6 of the recess 4, the edge of the runner 5 will engage only the ends of the recess, as indicated at A and B in Figure 2. Such engagement of the ends of the runner with the bottom of the recess will prevent the skate from relatively rocking in the recess when the guard is worn on the skate.

'I'he rear end of the recess 4 is closed by an end wall 8 which isinclinedinwardly or, in other words, under-cut, so that when the rear end 9 of the skate runner is abuttingly engaged therewith, the inclined end wall 8 will prevent the rear end of the skate from lifting vertically out of the recess, as will readily be understood by` reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the novel means provided for securing the guard to the runner of the skate, whereby it is not likely to become detached therefrom, and also whereby it may be so firmly secured thereto that it is not likely to relatively shift or change its position on the skate runner, when attached thereto.

The means provided for thus securing the runner to the skate is best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, and comprises a clamping element, generally indicated by the numeral I0. As best shown in Figure 4, the clamping element I is preferably in the form of a crank, and has an end portion I I received in threaded engagement with a socket I2, provided in the body of the guard adjacent the forward end thereof. The element I0 further has a handle portion I3 whereby it may be conveniently swung from the full to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, or vice versa, depending upon whether the guard is being attached to the runner or detached therefrom.

Because of the element I0 being received in threaded engagement with the body 2 of the guard, it may readily be adjusted so that when swung into engagement with the upper edge of the runner of the skate, it will firmly clamp it in the recess whereby the guard is not likely to relatively move on the runner, when the skater walks about with the guards on the skates. This is an important feature in that it secures the guard to the skate runner in such a manner that it becomes in effect an integral part of the skate, which is practically impossible with conventional guards, which are usually strapped or otherwise loosely secured to the skate runner.

The novel guard herein disclosed is particularly well suited for skates used for fancy skating, although it is to be understood that it may be used for other types of skates as well. In actual practice, I have found that the guard may be conveniently and economically made of hard wood such, for example, as hard maple. When made out of such material, suitable bolts I4 are preferably provided at the ends of the body of the guard shown in Figure 4.

to prevent it from splitting, although these may in some instances be omitted. It is to be understood, however, that the guard may be made of any material suitable for the purpose, which has suicient rigidity or stiffness to provide a guard which may readily be clamped or otherwise rigidly secured to the runner of the skate, whereby it is not likely to relatively move with 'respect thereto, when worn on the skates. The clamping element I0 may also be varied in shape or design without departing from the scope of the invention.

The guard is attached to the runner of the skate by simply inserting the runner into the recess 4, and then relatively rotating the clampingv element I0 to a position over the runner, as best When the runner is thus secured in the recess, it will have a three-point contact with the guard indicated at A, B and C, whereby the guard is not likely to relatively shift or change its position on the skate. It will also be noted that the ground-engaging surface of the skate is comparatively wide, whereby it is not likely to damage a oor or other highly polished surface, even when the weight of the skater is imposed thereon. If desired, a tread of rubber or other suitable material, not shown, may be applied to the ground-engaging surface 3 of the guard.

I claim as my invention:

1. A skate guard formed of an elongated rigid body having a slot adapted to receive the runner of the skate, a wall at one end of said slot adapted to receive in abutting relation the rear end of a skate runner seated in said slot, the bottom of said slot being concave to a substantial depth whereby the runner of a. skate seated therein will contact the bottom of said slot on seat portions at its ends only, and means for clamping a skate runner in said slot comprising a member adapted to engage the upper surface of a runner seated in said slot and screw means carrying said member engaging the elongated rigid body between the end seat portions of said groove, whereby said member is adjustable to engage the upper surface of the skate runner and lock the runner in engagement with the rigid body.

2. A skate guard formed of an elongated rigid body having a slot adapted to receive the runner of the skate, a wall at one end of said slot adapted to receive in abutting relation the rear end of a Askate runner seated in said slot, the bottom of the upper surface of a runner seated in said slotl to lock the runner in engagement with the rigid body.

THOMAS W. BARNARD. 

